Autism
Our research on autism has particularly focused on the economic costs of autism - treatment, care and support - to provide economic evidence to support greater investment in support for autistic people. We carry out economic evaluations as part of larger studies evaluating or developing new support interventions.
Key findings
- There is a critical need to fund autism research
- The cost of autism in the UK is £32 billion per yearin treatment, lost earnings, care and support for children and adults with autism
Current studies
Autistic people and people with learning disabilities experience a significantly lower quality of life, along with increased physical and mental health challenges, compared to the rest of population. While several factors contribute to this concerning disparity, a key issue is the lack of suitable and affordable housing options. Despite policy emphasis on supporting people to live independently in their own homes, the shortage of appropriate housing for autistic people and people with learning disabilities has led to rising hospital admissions, delayed discharges, and frequent readmissions due to the breakdown of housing arrangements.
The ASDEU programme is studying the prevalence of autism in 12 countries, analysing the economic and social costs of autism, reviewing existing arrangements and developing proposals for early detection programmes with the aim of improving care and support for adults with autism.
The IAMHealth study is focusing on decreasing mental health problems as a strategy for improving outcomes for people with autism spectrum disorders and their families.
The SenITA study is exploring whether, compared to treatment normally offered to families ('usual care'), sensory integration therapy can help with behaviour and daily functioning for children between 4 and 11 years old who have adult spectrum disorders and sensory processing difficulties and are in mainstream education.
The SHAPE study is evaluating specialist autism teams, and investigating their role in supporting autism-specialist practice in mainstream services. LSE is leading on the economic evaluation for the study.